12
Friday, November 10, 2000
Duke Favored in Familiar League
The Blue Devil women and
the other eight teams in the
ACC all return at least three
starters from a year ago.
By Mike Ogle
Assistant Sports Editor
Not much has changed around the
ACC women’s basketball landscape
since March.
Duke and Virginia are still the teams
to beat.
Florida State and Wake Forest are
still the teams to get beat.
All nine teams return at least three
starters, including the 2000 player of the
year in the Blue Devils’ Georgia
Schweitzer.
Schweitzer, the preseason pick to
repeat as the league’s top performer,
averaged 15.6 points and 4.0 rebounds
while shooting .403 behind the 3-point
stripe last season.
She’ll pair with Rochelle Parent in a
frontcourt that lost Peppi Brown, a first
team All-ACC member, to lead confer
ence tournament champion Duke (28-6,
12-4 in the ACC). The media’s presea
son choice to win the conference picked
up Alana Beard, a 5-foot-11 guard/for
ward tabbed as the preseason rookie of
the year.
“I think we never feel any more pres
sure from outside sources than we do
from within ourselves because we have
such high expectations ourselves,"
Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said.
“Two years ago we were ranked in
the top 5 in the country in the preseason
polls, and we learned the hard way that
Thomas Looks to Show Off Post Moves
By Kelly Lusk
Staff Writer
Sophomore Jennifer Thomas is the
protegee of a football player.
But she plays for the North Carolina
women’s basketball team. Thomas, a
forward, credits many of her post moves
to her dad, who played football at Ohio
State.
“He used to tell me that nobody
could ever stop him in the post, so he
kind of taught me a lot of post moves,”
Thomas said.
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Virginia sophomore Schuye Laßue (center) was the ACC Rookie of the
Year last season as the Cavaliers won the league's regular-season title.
preseason polls don’t really mean a
whole lot”
Virginia (25-9, 13-3) proved that
notion last year as a bit of a surprise reg-
ular-season champion that earned
Debbie Ryan her seventh ACC Coach
of the Year honor.
The Cavaliers return a formidable
trio in Schuye Laßue, Svedana Volnaya
and Telisha Quarles. Laßue, the 2000
ACC Rookie of the Year, led the team
with 14.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per
game. Volnaya (13.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg) was a
She also picked up some tips from
Lydia Johnson, the aunt of NBA player
Robert “Tractor” Traylor. Thomas occa
sionally worked out with Johnson when
she was younger.
Her favorite post move is the “Moses
Malone.”
“It’s not really up and under,” Thomas
said. “It’s like a fake to the middle and
turn back baseline for the layup.”
Thomas may have more opportuni
ties to show off her favorite move this
season because former UNC player
Jackie Higgins left the team to pursue a
Basketball 2000-01
first-team all-ACC performer, and
Quarles was the team’s third-leading
scorer at 12.4 points per contest,
“Obviously we have a great trio of
players returning in the starting lineup,”
Ryan said. “Players who have a lot of
experience, are very, very talented and
obviously are going to anchor our team
this year.
“So that’s a very big bright spot for
us.”
The bright spot for third-place N.C.
State (20-9,11-5) last season was its now-
Sophomore forward
Jennifer Thomas
learned moves from
her father and the
aunt of NBA player
Robert Traylor.
professional career
overseas. Higgins,
who started 13
games, was often
the Tar Heels’ first
player off the
bench.
Thomas had a
rocky start last
year. She had diffi
culty meeting the
team conditioning
standards and sat
out the first three
games until she
passed the
requirements. This
year, she has yet to pass the test, but she
said it’s not going to be like last year.
Tm getting there, but they moved my
time up,” Thomas said. “I have to make
(the mile) in 6:45 now, so I’m working on
it It’s going to get there, though."
With a year of experience under her
belt, Thomas said she feels more com
fortable at practice and on the court.
“Practice altogether is a lot easier
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departed 6-6 center, Summer Erb.
Now the Wolfpack has to find a way
to smoke teams without Erb.
N.C. State faltered when she went
down with a broken left foot late in the
season. The Wolfpack went 3-4 without
her and lost its first game of the NCAA
tournament when she returned in a lim
ited capacity.
But the rest of the team still returns,
including sophomore forward/center
Kaayla Chones (11.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg) and
senior guard Tynesha Lewis (11.0 ppg,
5.1 rpg).
Clerason’s player to watch is sopho
more guard Chrissy Floyd.
The second-team All-ACC member
came off the bench to lead the Tigers in
scoring as a freshman at 12.1 ppg. The
team’s second-leading scorer (9.2) and
leading rebounder (7.4), Erin Batth, also
returns.
Like Clemson, Georgia Tech also has
a sizzlin’ sophomore in Niesha Butler,
who had to decline the lead in Spike
Lee’s “Love and Basketball” because of
NCAA rules.
Buder, the 1999 ACC Rookie of the
Year, redshirted last season after tearing
her anterior cruciate ligament in the
fourth game of the year. She joins four
returning starters for the Yellow Jackets
(17-14, 7-9).
Maryland (16-15,5-11), Florida State
(12-17, 4-12) and Wake Forest (7-21,
3-13) comprise the bottom third of the
conference.
“Athletically, I know we’re moving in
the right direction,” Demon Deacon
coach Charlene Curtis said. “How
close? None of the other teams seem to
want to slow down and wait for us to
catch up.”
now that I know what to expect,”
Thomas said. “I know the drills now. I
know what to do, and I can help the
freshman and teach them what to do.”
Thomas appeared in UNC’s final 30
games after she passed the team’s phys
ical tests, and she made the most of her
time on the court. She averaged 6.0
points per game in 13.0 minutes of play
ing time. Thomas scored a season-high
18 points against Richmond and earned
ACC rookie of the week honors twice.
Thomas did all this against women
who were often a few inches taller.
Thomas stands at 6-foot-1 and must bat
de women bigger than her for the ball.
This summer, she focused on her foot
work and rebounding so that her height
won’t hinder her on the court.
With a year’s experience, Thomas
also can help the freshmen learn how to
deal with the rigors of college hoops.
“We know what it takes,” Thomas said.
“We had a lot of adversity that we went
through last year, so now we won’t real
ly be surprised for anything. It’s going to
he rough, but we all want to do it”
Freshmen Aim to Learn
Roles on Tar Heel Team
By Rachel Carter
Assistant Sports Editor
Chrystal Baptist didn’t draw an easy
assignment during the first days of
North Carolina’s basketball practice.
The 6-foot-2 freshman forward had to
go up against her roommate, All-ACC
forward LaQuanda Barksdale, who led
the league in scoring and rebounding
last year.
“That’s the toughest thing in the
world. It is so hard,” Baptist said.
“And she doesn’t go easy on me. We’re
roommates and you know, she teaches
me things, but at the same time, when
we step on that court, she’s pushing me,
shoving me, holding my jersey prepar
ing me for what’s going to happen in a
game.”
Baptist’s trial by fire into collegiate
basketball is something all of North
Carolina’s freshmen are experiencing
right now to prepare for the season.
Baptist, guard Joy Hairston, for
ward/center Carrie Davis and center
Candace Sutton
are North
Carolina’s new
comers and should
jump into the
action quickly.
Sutton will
probably be the
freshman to make
the biggest impact
on the team. At
6-6, her height has
“Candace is going to be great
inside. It’s unbelievable.
She’s huge, she’s got
incredible movement...”
Chrystal Baptist
UNC Freshman Forward
helped her edge junior LaShonda Allen
for the starting slot. Sutton will also be
called upon to give the Tar Heels a big
inside presence.
“Candace is going to be great inside,”
Baptist said. “It’s unbelievable. She’s
huge, she’s got incredible movement,
she moves without the ball, she talks,
she learns quickly.”
A former Maryland high school play
er of the year, Sutton said she intends to
be the ACC Rookie of the Year.
“I think that I have the potential to do
that, and I know that playing with a
great team under a great coaching staff
that Carolina has, I have the opportuni
ty to go out and work hard and be rook
ie of the year,” Sutton said.
Chambers Ready for Return
By Roland Hoffman
Staff Writer
Spending a season sitting on the
bench can sometimes be beneficial for
an athlete.
That certainly was the case for
Courtney Chambers.
The redshirt freshman spent last year
watching her teammates play while she
battled mononucleosis. The time off
allowed her to gain valuable experience,
but at the same time it pained her to
know that she couldn’t contribute.
“It was real tough sitting on the side
lines,” Chambers said. “It’s usually
tough for freshmen anyway, but it was
especially hard for me to watch the
team, knowing that I couldn’t play.”
Chambers played in her last game
Dec. 19 against Michigan State before
being diagnosed with mono and then
receiving her medical redshirt. She
remained inactive until February, when
she was able to practice with the team.
Now Chambers is ready to show that
she can make a positive contribution for
the Tar Heels as an outside shooting
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For the other three freshmen, learn
ing how to be effective when coming off
the bench will be their main focus.
“It’s going to be a learning year for
me, I think, more so than a playing
year,” Hairston said. “I’ll probably get
some playing time during the year, but
I understand I have to get the offense
down and understand what the coaches
are wanting me to do here.” -
Hairston is playing behind Coretta
Brown and Cherie Lea at point guarti
and could also see time backing up
Juana Brown at the 2-guard spot.
Baptist sees more of an active role for
herself than Hairston. She’s playing
power forward behind Barksdale and
Jennifer Thomas but could compete for
time. UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell calls
Baptist “the complete package.”
“Right now, (my goal is) to be a big
threat of the bench,” Baptist said.
“Hopefully when they take (Barksdale)
out of the game, they won’t even notice
that they’re taking out an All-
American.”
As for Davis,
the 6-4 freshman
from Franklin,
Tenn., might face
the hardest fight
for playing time of
all die freshmen.
Davis will have
to batde Sutton,
Allen and senior
Jackie Myers for
minutes. She said
her role for the team right now would be
to help her teammates improve their
post play during practice.
Thomas said the height of the fresh
men should help the Tar Heels in the
post. Hairston is the shortest of the
freshmen at 6-0.
“They’re really good,” Thomas said.
“I’ve known Carrie since I was like 12
from going to camps and stuff. We used
to play against her AAU team all the
time, so she’s a great player.”
Although Sutton will have the chance
to shine brightest early in the season, the
Tar Heels have carved out a special spot
for all of their freshmen.
Said Hatchell, “They’re going to make
us better and give us some good depth.”
threat. Her left
handed jumper
will allow
Chambers to play
at shooting guard
and small forward.
Along with a
year of watching,
Chambers also has
genetics on her
side. Her father,
William, played at
UNC under Dean
Smith from 1968
to 1972.
Although
Chambers did see
Redshirt freshman
Courtney
Chambers
played in six games
before suffering from
mononucleosis.
action in six games last season, the most
important part of the year was being
able to attend practices and learn the
Tar Heels’ system. This should make her
transition from the bench to the floor
much smoother.
“I feel real comfortable being able to
step in this year,” Chambers said.
“Having that year of practicing with the
team, I know that this is a good team. I
just want to step in and contribute."